A French woman’s vivid account of her unexpected cross-cultural journey through late nineteenth-century Paris, New York, and Chicago

During the summer of 1892, this twenty eight year old Parisian school teacher boarded the transatlantic ship “La Touraine” bound for New York. At the same time, she began taking notes for a project that would eventually be published as “Impressions d’une parisienne a Chicago.” In this lively travel memoir, Madame Grandin describes what strikes her most about American life, from the diverse neighborhoods and cultural attractions of Manhattan, to a stunning train trip to Niagara Falls, and finally to her extended sojourn in Chicago during the World’s Columbian Exposition. This observant and witty young woman reacted with energy and enthusiasm to what she saw. Adding an unexpected twist to her account, the intriguing back story of the book, culled from archival documents, reveals that Madame Grandin was so inspired by what she observed during her trip that she eventually made the life-changing decision to leave France and spend the rest of her life in America.